tions and excellencies of the great Supreme, and to have an influence upon the whole of our daily walk and converfation, When we begin the day with God, there is ground to hope we will "Be in his fear all the day long." Thus I have briefly stated before you fome of the benefits flowing from the Godly practice of family worship. It is beneficial for our temporal and spiritual intereft, for this world and the next, for time and eternity. It is profitable to our own fouls, to the fouls of our families, and the church of Chrift. Now a duty of fuch high confequence muft furely be incumbent upon all govern. ors of households.

But let us alfo confider for a moment, the unhappy con. fequences of neglecting this divine fervice.

They are furely without the fpecial favour of God in this life. They can hope for no bleflings from heaven, feeing they defire them not. Their state may be declared in the language of Bildad the Shuhite, "Surely fuch are the dwellings "of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not "God."--If God be not worshipped in a house, there is dan ger of its becoming the refidence of Satan. Vice and iniquity, fecurity and fin will probably prevail in it. The common mercies they enjoy, frequently prove a fnare, and are often given them in a way of judgment, and contribute to the hardening of their hearts, and the blinding their eyes.--Children are trained up without religious inftruction, without the knowledge, reverence and fear of God.

What will be the deplorable condition of fuch families, when they fhall have entered into eternity, paffed trial before the grand tribunal, and their eternal destiny irreverfably fixed? Will not prayerlefs parents curfe the day they were conftituted heads of households? Will not children curfe the parents who had been

the inftruments of their exiftence? Thus they fhall fink downure der the preffure of Almighty wrath, dwell in devouring flames, blafpheming God and curfing one another throughout the unwalling ages of eternity. Hear this all ye neglecters of God and your duty. When his wrath is kindled but a little, ye fhall perish from the way. What will you do when his fury fhall be poured out upon you to the uttermoft? At his prefence the hills fall down, and before him the rocks are melted away. Who then can fuftain the ftorms of his wrath? "I will cut off them that turned from the Lord, and those "that have not fought the Lord, nor enquired after him. "The wicked fay, what is the Almighty that we should ferve "him, and what profit fhall we have, if we pray unto him. "Thou haft not called upon me, O! Jacob, thou haft been "weary of me, O! Ifrael, but thou hast made me to serve with "thy fins, thou haft wearied me with thine iniquities."

Let us relinquifh the gloomy ideas refpecting the unhappy houfes where the voice of prayer is not heard. And O ! that all heads of families would immediately adopt the refolution of the Pfalmift and fay, "My voice fhalt thou hear in the "morning, O Lord, in the morning will I dire& my prayer "to thee, and will look up." Or the determination of Jofhua, that aged general, who, if his whole hoft fhould depart, would ftand fingular and alone for God; "But as for me and my "houfe we will ferve the Lord."

Two addreffes to two different heads of families fhall clofe this difcourfe.

Fift, to thofe who practise this duty. Thofe of you who are confciencious and faithful in this precious fervice, I cordially congratulate you, that God has difpofed your hearts to a due attention to the fame. Praife the Lord for all his favours

and grace. Every bleffing and every good and perfect gift comes down from above, therefore let your hearts be filled with gratitude to God who hath thus formed your judgements and difpofed your minds to this exalted and holy duty.--Plead earnestly for an increase of grace to be more fervent and diligent. Think not you have performed the whole service, when you have bowed the knee, and pronounced the round of praying words, but be careful that your addreffes arife from a fenfibility of heart and from a feeling of foul. If your family devotions are a dull formality, what can be expected from the reft? They kneel, they hear, they rife, and are ftill the fame Not a devout fentiment of prayer or thankfulness, confeffion of fin or praife have been awakened in their minds. Why? Becaufe no fuch thing was in your own. If you would have your families devout, be devout yourfelves. If you wish them to feel love, humiliation, and gratitude, feel thefe graces in your own fouls. A feeling heart will caufe feeling lips, thefe will create a devotional fpirit all around. When you have performed your best prayers, beware of a dependence on them. Guard against felfrighteousness. Subftitute them not in the room of Chrift. But when you have done your beft, ftill feel and acknowledge yourselves unprofitable fervants.-"The end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober and "and watch unto prayer."--Let not your prayers be long and tedious, but weighty, feeling and folemn. Mumble not over your family prayers in a low and indistinct voice, like a popith pater nofter, but confider yourfelves leading the devotion of others, and raife your voices to a decent pitch that all may hear. Remember our Lord's declaration, “Where two or "three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the « midst of them, to bless them.”

A fecond addrefs must be directed to thofe heads of families who have hitherto omitted this duty. This fhall be short. Vain are the words of man. They are as ftraws caft against

brazen wall, which can be of no avail unless accompanied by the Almighty power of God. A Paul may plant and an "Apollos water, but it is God who must give the increafe." My dear fellow mortals, I know you cannot deny the obligation of the duty, you cannot by all the exertion of geni. us offer any excufe approbated by your own minds and fatisfying to your own confciences. The advantages of this homage, and the dangers of neglecting it have been stated before you ; I fhall bring forward no more encouragements, nor terrors upon the fubject. The whole matter is left with God and your ⚫wn fouls, the blood of which I pray may not be found in my fkirts. Yet I cannot refrain from recommending to your fe. rious confideration our text with its connection, "If it feem "evil to you to ferve the Lord, after all the reafons and in. "ducements laid before you, chufe this day whom you will for me and houfe, we will ferve the Lord.” "ferve, but as

my

Bear in mind the words of the Prophet. "If God be God, "follow him, but if Baal be God then follow him.”

SERMON V.

The Great Importance of Family Government.

Sam. iii. 13. For I have told him, that I will judge his houfe forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his fons made themfelves vile, and he reftrained them not.

WERE I asked, what is the greatest bleffing or the greatest curse to mankind? My anfwer would be, the proper or improper government of families. Where families are wifely and skilfully governed, it is a fuperior bleffing to the world. It caufes heavenly dews to defcend like rain upon the mown grafs. Celestial favours are showered down upon governors and governed; the love and promifés of God will dwell in that houfe. And it is bleffed individuals, that form a bleffed church, town or common wealth. As the well government of families tends to the profperity and happiness of the world, fo the reverse is the most deadly curfe. A hoft of the evils which infest the human race derive their origin from the derangement, ill-government and mismanagement, of families.

I